Mp3 players are handheld devices that can store music, and sometimes photo and/or video files. Mp3 players have, in recent years, proven themselves to be one of the most popular entertainment tools available. Creative Labs adds to this market its line of Zen mp3 players, now Apple's top competition against the iPod.

Creative Labs has introduced into the technological race their line of Zen mp3 players. In this line are players which vary from 512MB, which we see in the Zen Nano Plus, to the 60GB available in the Zen Vision W. With the Zen mp3 players we see products created for simple music listening, such as the Nano Plus, and the Stone series. For a player more specified to video watching, a Vision W or the original Zen player might be more desirable, as they have bigger screens. Looking for a player made for music and videos? Try the Vision: M or one of the players from the V series. With its vast variety of products, each user is sure to find one that suits his or her needs.

Why would someone choose a Zen mp3 player over an iPod? There are many reasons why this might happen, the first of which is the software. Many users enjoy being given the choice, with the Zen players, to use either Creative Media Explorer or Windows Media Player. With the iPod however, iTunes software must be used.

Another reason why one might choose a Zen mp3 player over an iPod is the compatibility of video files. Whereas it is extremely difficult to transfer any non-iTunes purchased videos to an iPod, the process of transferring such files to a Zen player is on of great ease. In addition to this, Zen players come in a vast variety of colors, giving consumers more of a choice in the looks of their player.

How much do they cost? Zen mp3 players are seen over a wide-span price range. The Vision: M and the Nano Plus are very closely related in cost to their close cousins, the original iPod and the iPod Nano, respectively. These players range from less than $50 to around $300. The video players, like the 80GB Vision W, are on the upwards side of the range, at more than $300.

Having owned a Creative Zen Vision: M for over a year, I have obtained some personal experience with the line of Zen mp3 players. Throughout my time of ownership, I have found only two negative aspects of the Zen mp3 player. These two things were (1) the album art not showing up, and (2) the software. Due to a compatibility problem with Windows Media Player 11 and Creative's Media Explorer, after about a year of using my Zen player, I realized that the album art had stopped showing up. The other issue I had was not so much with the player as with the software that came with it. I didn't like the file view of the Media Explorer, and wished that the program had an artist, album, and track title view. Fortunately, both of my issues with my Zen mp3 player were solved with a quick software update.

With their small size, large capacity, and sleek designs, mp3 players have quickly monopolized the market of portable music players. While Apple iPods still own this arena, Zen mp3 players are rapidly catching up.

produced and edited by Raymond Sabo http://www.cellphones-mp3.com